Benn Brisland CYW, MSW, RSW (He/Him)

Benn Brisland is a Registered Social Worker and Child and Youth Worker with over 18 years of experience supporting children, youth, and adults navigating mental health, identity, and life transitions. He specializes in working with 2SLGBTQIA+ communities, with a deep commitment to supporting trans and gender-diverse individuals and their families.

Benn’s approach to therapy centres clients as the experts in their own lives. He strives to create an affirming, nonjudgmental space where diverse identities—2SLGBTQ, neurodivergent, and those with lived experience of mental health, substance use, or addiction—are fully seen and supported. At the heart of Benn’s practice is the belief that strong therapeutic relationships create the foundation for healing, growth, and change.

His work is collaborative, goal-oriented, and strengths-based. Benn works with clients to understand underlying patterns, build on existing strengths, and try new strategies—with the aim of increasing resilience, confidence, and self-understanding. While he doesn’t follow a single modality, Benn draws from training in Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), and integrates creativity into his sessions in meaningful and flexible ways.

From 2013-2025, Benn worked at a large mental health teaching hospital in Toronto, most recently providing gender-affirming services to adults across Ontario. He is a WPATH-qualified provider of surgical assessments for those seeking Ontario Ministry of Health funding approval for gender-affirming transition-related surgeries. He also volunteers as a mental health counsellor at a summer camp for 2SLGBTQ youth and families in Washington State—an experience that has shaped his deep respect for the power of story, identity, and chosen family. Earlier in his career, Benn worked in therapeutic residential settings with youth experiencing mental health and substance use challenges.

Outside of work, Benn is a passionate maker—often found sewing, knitting, or juggling multiple creative projects at once. He is also a proud parent of two energetic kiddos who bring laughter, curiosity, and joy to daily life.